I Need You, Aquarius
by Lett
Summary: He was a SOLDIER, 1ST Class. She was a Cetra, the last of her kind. "Stay close to her, guard her with your life." That was his mission. GenesisAerith. For OCValkyrie. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**A / N**: Story is set in an alternative setting a few years before Crisis Core. Genesis never went rogue and was sent on a mission to protect a 'key asset' of the company; a certain young girl who happened to be the last of the Cetras.

I never played Crisis Core but I imagine Genesis as a standoffish, reclusive kind of guy, whose idea of solitude (and the steps he takes to enforce them) is mistaken for arrogance. Of course my Genesis is also a closet romantic, driven in every sense of the word, and has a biting sense of humour that comes out only in certain company of trusted friends. If you think you can squint to look at Genesis this way then read on.

This is also an exchange fic written for ObsessiveCompulsiveValkyrie who also beta'ed its early versions. The prompt was the song Aquarius by Within Temptation to a Generith. The plot turned out not having anything to do with the lyrics (but I really, really tried). Still the lyrics are interspersed between chapters (there are 5 in total).

Enjoy, and please do leave a review.

* * *

_I hear your whispers_

_break the silence and it calms me down._

_

* * *

_"Genesis."

The SOLDIER Director acknowledged his presence before he looked up from his desk and gestured at the empty seat in front of his table.

"Lazard." Genesis shook his head and looked at him pointedly. He did not want to stay long.

Lazard looked him over before he pulled out an envelope from the tray on his desk and handed it to him. "I have an urgent mission for you. A _special_ mission."

An eyebrow arched at the emphasis on the word. So-called 'special missions' were usually for the Turks, not for SOLDIERS. Subtlety, after all, wasn't their strong suit. But he kept his silence and waited for the Director to continue.

"It's… high profile, in a way," he said by way of explanation. The Director had a hint of tiredness in his normally neutral voice. "You are to travel to Nibelheim and protect a key asset of the Shin-Ra company."

"A 'key asset'?" His eyes narrowed in confusion.

A small smile tugged the corner of his officer's lips. "Yes. Those are the files." The brown envelope was sealed and he could feel the bulk of materials inside it. "Try and... blend in. Do not to call attention to your affiliation to SOLDIER or Shin-Ra. You are the most subtle from anyone in 1st class, so this mission goes to you."

He frowned at this. Sephiroth was definitely too distinctive to blend in because of his silver hair. But Angeal looked plainer than the two of them and could pull subtlety off, he was sure of it. Maybe his moral and strong sense of honor would get in the way. That leaves him. Well, whatever the reason, he was glad to have another mission so soon after the last one was concluded. He prepared to exit, hand at the door handle.

"One more thing." Genesis paused and turned back to Lazard. "Drop by Professor Hojo at the labs before you leave. He will... _prepare_ you." He said this with obvious distaste, lips curling down at the edges.

His eyebrow arched. Dr. Hollander was the one who oversaw his medical needs, not Hojo. This must be some mission if he was going to be assisted by the rival scientist. But if Sephiroth can stomach him, surely he can as well. With one last nod to the blonde, he turned and exited the office.

* * *

He barely arrived at the helicopter transport waiting for him before the full effect of the drug took effect. _Goddamn bastard!_ He cursed as he crashed into his seat, his bag quickly kicked into a corner. He paused as he righted himself and struggled with his seat belt. He could barely hear the sound of the helicopter's engine as he settled for tying the damn belt around his midsection in a fisherman's knot, fingers too buttery to slip the two in together as required.

He leaned his head back on the headrest and felt more than a passing need to vomit. Hojo didn't even have the decency to explain what it was that he gave. He just stuck a needle in Genesis' arm the second he got in, first to draw his blood, then another to inject him with a yellowish substance that tingled as it coursed through his veins.

He was immediately shooed out and told to hurry to transport and make no other stops. He might have imagined the fevered laugh that he heard as the doors closed. The Professor sure didn't believe in wasting time.

His insides felt like molten lead and something squirmed under his skin; he could almost imagine it slithering and hissing like a snake as it coursed through his veins. He could only hope it was another 'enhancement.' He didn't really want to imagine the alternative. He leaned back and drew comfort from where he could; the cool material of the headrest eased the burning inside him somewhat but it wasn't enough.

It was becoming more difficult to breathe. He scrunched his eyes closed as an attack of nausea washed over him. There was something crawling and churning within, wreaking havoc on his nerves. Suddenly his skin was itching like nothing he'd felt before and it was almost enough to make him want to scratch out his own flesh just to stop the torturing sensation. He didn't even know where to begin scratching because he felt the pain all over him. "_Ggh!_" a fevered cry broke from him as he slumped forward, the belt held him fast against his chair. A thick trail of blood flowed down from his nostrils. He could only bring his trembling fingers to wipe it as it trailed down his chin. His gaze fell to the scarlet drops on the floor.

Red should not be of any other shade but this. He remembered the first time he saw that color; the laughter, the jeers, and among them the soothing voice of his mother as she kissed the bleeding wound on his knee. He climbed a tree to reach for a red apple; the only colored one among all the white, but he missed his footing and broke his bone, skin and pride. He would show them, all those who enjoyed the sight of his pain and laughed at his expense. He could get something done with his own two hands even at so young an age. He will heal and he will climb again. He will not be defined by this.

The strong can do whatever they want, after all. He could be strong too.

He remembered the color again as it dripped down the dark blade of his rapier. He had gutted a man; his dying scream still rang in his ears. It was his first human kill. He was older and was part of a war that he did not have to fight in. But he signed on because he wanted to show them all, he wasn't just another man born to privilege and nothing else. He was capable too; capable of taking one, a hundred, a thousand lives and he did it because of the things he believed in. He could also be recognized for this.

A hero stood for something and fought for what they believed in, after all. He could be a hero too.

He remembered the first time he made love; the only time he allowed himself to be lost in the heat of passion with a woman whose desire rivalled his own. Pain and pleasure consumed them as they moved in rhythm; the chase to completion was the only thing that mattered as the whimpers and moans turned to pleas and broken sentences of "_faster_", "_more_" and "_ohgodohgod_…oh!". This was what the body was for; a temple to experience all earthly delights. He'd show them all, he wasn't just another killing machine incapable of feeling anything else. He could arouse and he could give back as good as he gets it. He licked the blood from a woman he kissed hard enough to draw blood. He could get used to this.

A lover bring others pleasure after all. He could be a lover too.

Another warm drop trailed down his chin as the colors that poured out of him slowly blotted out his vision. The swirling mess pulled and churned until all sight faded into nothing but the feeling of pain. He took one last shuddering breath and the pain exploded within him unlike anything he'd ever felt.

He screamed in his mind, and wondered if this is how dying felt like.

After all... he was only human too.

* * *

_...He is in pain..._

A soft voice broke through the silence that surrounded him.

_He never stops dreaming... his dreams cause him pain..._

He tried to open his eyes but they were too heavy. He sunk down again to the comfortable nothingness. This was his end, he was sure of it.

But the voice came again.

_His heart is so strong..._

_

* * *

_

When he woke, the first thing that came to mind was that he might be dreaming still. There was a sea of green before him; its luminosity held consciousness, memory... _life_. It invited him to lose himself within its depths.

The haze in his vision grew clear and he realized the green he saw was only a small part of what was before him. It was her eyes that were green, framed within long brown lashes on a round and youthful face surrounded with delicate chestnut curls. The face hovered only a few inches above him.

"_W--_" His lungs failed him, coming up short of breath. He took a deep breath and tried again. "What are you looking at?" His voice came out as a croak. _Gods, he was thirsty. _He tried to move his face away, only to notice her hand was on his cheek. He frowned and stared at what's visible of her wrist. They were so small, like a child's hand, but they felt firm somehow, as if she was used to handling things that were harder than human flesh. And she felt so very warm.

"Took you long enough to wake up." He frowned again as his eyes tried to focus. What the hell did he get himself into again that it fell to young girls to take care of him? He was not that weak!

"Go... a-away... _Gods!_" He cried at the sudden assault of light on his eyes. The girl moved and, in doing so, unblocked the sunlight that washed in from the window behind her.

He closed his eyes and tried to turn the other way. He was sure she tried to blind him on purpose. He would have glared if he could. But the few words he spoke and the strain of movement in his struggles left him feeling drained. His body felt weak, limp, as if he had not moved for a very long time and had forgotten how it was like.

He sighed and tried to control his breathing. He felt the girl touch his cheek again and immediately felt better at the rush of warmth that spread across his body.

"Sleep now." His eyes fluttered close obediently. From beneath half-closed lids he saw the outline of the girl lean down.

He felt warmth on his lips and wondered if he was dreaming again.

* * *

"You almost died you know."

Her voice held a strange resonance; drifting down the waves of unconsciousness he was plunged under. He held on to it and used it as a drowning man would use a rope to surface towards full awareness. He groaned and glanced to his side, seeking the owner of the voice. His vision left much to be desired but slowly details about his environment filtered to him like a remembered taste.

He was in a well-lit, well-furnished room that contained paintings, draperies and plush couches set before a fireplace. He tried to turn to his other side for an extended survey of the room but felt too weak to be bothered. His eyes swept across the side he could see again, searching for the source of the voice that woke him. He was certain that it was here on _this_ side, hiding somewhere in plain view.

"Genesis..." the voice came as a whisper and his eyes finally focused on her.

She sat by the window, occupying one of the two chairs set around a small round table. Her chin was set on the cushion of her arms, which rested atop the table. Her eyes looked toward the window that led outside, gazing at the overcast sky. She was right there at the center of his vision, so obvious in her white nightgown with the morning light wrapped around her like a cloak.

He wondered if he could respond to his name. Seconds passed in silence and he began to wonder if she even said it at all. How could she even know what to call him?

"You have a beautiful name." She flicked her eyes to him and gave him a lazy smile. Her green eyes shone like a jewel with a thousand facets, perfectly cut to reflect even the faintest of light.

He fell asleep again looking into those eyes, wondering if there was a gem in all the world that could compare to their brilliance.

* * *

The third time he woke, he felt a little of his strength returned. He slowly sat up despite his body's protest to his movements. He looked around and tried to spot something familiar in the room. The only thing that changed from last time was ashes of the fire, now only a few embers glittered here and there. There was no sign of the girl.

He sighed and willed his legs to fall on one side to the floor. His toes were pleased to meet the soft surface of a carpet and curled them experimentally, trying to bring sensation back to his feet. Where was he, anyway? The last thing he remembered was passing out on the helicopter. He flinched at the remembered pain that overwhelmed his senses. It wasn't like any he's ever felt before, and he wondered if there would be lingering after effects he was to suffer from in the short term.

He stood up and was immediately assaulted by a wave of nausea once again. After a few minutes of steady, lungful of breaths his feet held steady and his balance stayed true. Soon he trailed bare feet across red carpet headed to the only door in the room. He turned the gold plated handle and opened the door to an empty hallway. The light was muted by heavy draperies on the windows. He was thankful for the shade; he doubted if his sensitive eyes could handle the full brightness of the sun right now. He stepped out into the hall and was relieved to find an open door that lead to the facility he needed.

The bathroom was extravagantly outfitted as well. The whole room was made of polished marble with granite countertops and a large mirror that was engraved on one side of the wall. There was also a tub carved out of a raised platform on one corner and a spotless white toilet on another. Gold linings highlighted the shape and edges of the furniture in the room, adding an elegant finish. He headed toward the toilet and sought relief for his kidneys.

When he was done, he crossed over to the counter and turned on the water. Bloodshot eyes stared back at him after he washed his face on the sink. He noticed for the first time his blue cotton night shirt and soft cotton pants, just right for his size. Who dressed him? Where was his pack? He adjusted his dishevelled appearance as best he could and fingered the edges of his hair, idly thinking he was due for a haircut soon. He dried his hand on one of the towels hung behind the door and came back out to the hallway just in time to see the girl appear from a corner with a tray of food on her hands.

They stared at each other for a moment before the girl opened the door to his room and entered, the tips of her braided brown hair barely touching the wooden floor boards. He followed her and shut the door behind him.

"Where did you come from?" he asked as she continued to walk forward, headed to the table in the corner of the room.

"The kitchen downstairs. I brought you food."

He stared at her back for a long moment, taking in the light green robe wrapped around her small frame. She was barefoot. He followed her as she set down the tray in the table and walked towards the windows to pull the draperies apart, allowing light to flood in.

He squinted as he sat down in front of the tray and waited as the girl lifted the tray cover to reveal soup, steak, mashed potatoes and some freshly cut fruits on the side. He inhaled the collective aroma of the meal and closed his eyes, savouring the scent. Then he turned to look at the girl who sat down on the other chair in front of him.

"Who are you? Why am I here?"

He noticed her eyes dance across his features, first to the top of his head, then to his eyes, his nose, his mouth, then to his eyes again. He kept his silence and waited for an answer. "My name is Aerith. They brought you here and bade me to take care of you."

"Who are 'they'?"

"The ones who keep me here..." she averted her eyes. "Shin-Ra."

He carefully guarded his expression. Was she hostile to the company? "Are we in Nibelheim?"

She nodded and continued to watch him patiently.

So he arrived safely after all. He grabbed the glass of water in the tray and eased the dryness in his throat.

"You are SOLDIER, are you not?"

He lifted his eyes to her and saw her carefully blank expression. "What makes you say that?" He made the pretence of ignoring her as he fingered the silverware. He could use this if things got out of hand.

"Mako. It sings in your blood. Like with Sephiroth. And something else, though it seems subdued somehow..."

Blue eyes narrowed dangerously as he stopped slicing the meat before him. She could not be a civilian if she knew these things about SOLDIER. "You know Sephiroth?"

A sad, faraway look crossed her eyes. "Yes. He stayed here before."

"And where is 'here'?" He continued his interrogation even as he forked meat to his mouth.

"You are in the Shin-Ra mansion."

"Are there others here?"

"There are guards who occupy the lower floors. And there's Mrs. Castor from the nearby town who comes here every now and then to help with the cleaning. It's a large mansion after all and I'm afraid I can't maintain it by myself..." she trailed off and seemed to have no more information to offer.

He digested her words as he chewed his food. There was something else that he was curious about. He looked at her again, "How did you know my name?"

She looked at him then lowered her eyes, looking very embarrassed about something. She cleared her throat before she spoke again. "This was with you when you were brought here. I thought I should give it to you when you woke up." She handed him the sealed envelope that Lazard gave him. "Your bag is over there," she gestured to one corner of the room. "...with the clothes you wore. I took the liberty of washing them while you were asleep."

"How long was I out?" He turned the envelope over in his palm. There was no sign of tampering whatsoever. Aerith stood up suddenly and he tensed, gripping the steak knife firmly in his hands. Young girl or not, he still had no idea if she was friend or foe.

"About five days."

He lifted astonished blue eyes to her and he couldn't help but be annoyed. He was out for that long? He had never been unconscious for more than 24 hours before, no matter his injuries. Whatever Hojo gave him must have been pretty strong.

"I'll be in my room if you need me. It's just down the hall." She said as she withdrew, heading to the door and shutting it with a soft click.

He looked down at the package in his hand, idly wondering if the time he was passed out would have any implication on the special mission he was assigned to. He turned the envelope over again. It did not bear marks of tampering.

In fact, there were no identifying marks whatsoever. Not even his name.

* * *

Pictures. All of her. When she was a baby, when she had short hair, when she was riding a bicycle, the most recent one was stolen of her as she tended to what looked like a garden.

_Aerith Faremis._ _Barely 15. Guard mission. Indefinite duration._

Genesis turned over the orders he received. _She_ was the special asset?

The files detailed information on the perimeter, the security measures that was already in place for her protection and the staff that helped out in the mansion. There was even information on the nearby town and its chief citizens. But it did not contain the potential threat that they faced.

_Stay close to her. Guard her with your life. _

"From what?" He sighed and reread the documents again. There was no mention or sign of previous dangers faced or potential vulnerabilities. There weren't even any mention of family relations. If he didn't know any better, he'd say he was assigned to babysit this precious little someone's daughter. Whoever the parents were had enough power and resources from the company to get an arrangement like this.

_Maybe she's the President's illegitimate daughter. _He shook his head. He was not here to speculate and he had a mission to fulfill. Having committed the information to memory, he went to the nearby fireplace and tossed the paper and the pictures into the ashes. No need to leave around information that could compromise the mission. He started a fire with a flick of his fingers and tossed the rest of the other pictures. He grasped the last left on the table and was about to throw it when he glanced at it again. It was a profile shot of her as she bent close to a lily blossom, eyes closed with a half-smile on her face.

He scrutinized the picture; he just couldn't see a resemblance between her, the President or even Rufus. "What's so special about you that you need to be protected?" His eyes searched the photo for a clue even though he was sure he would not be able to unlock any mysteries in the black and white still frame.

He sighed and closed his eyes. Whatever it was, he was sure he would find out soon enough.

* * *

Please leave a review!

If you'd like to read more FF7 fanfic, check out my oneshots in **The Men in Her Life**, which features Tifa with different pairings. The 4th oneshot, And Then There Was Light features GenesisxTifa.


	2. Chapter 2

_They say I'm seeking out the danger_

_that one day you won't let me go_

_

* * *

_The first time he heard her scream, he rushed to her room with his rapier clad only in his cotton pants. He broke through her locked door and scanned the surroundings. It was the middle of the night; the moon hid behind clouds and bathed the room in complete darkness. He narrowed his eyes, wary of how the room remained dark despite his night-vision. He blinked several times but he could see almost nothing but the faint outline of objects in the room.

He made his way to the bed where the girl was. A glance at her told him all that he needed to know. She was having a dream; her eyes were closed, her body twisted in an uncomfortable position as tears rushed down her cheeks. She whimpered and shook her head this way and that; an expression of agony etched upon her young face. She was gripped by a nightmare that didn't want to let go, no matter how much she trashed or screamed. He tried to ease off the blankets that tangled around her form as she bucked her body like a thing possessed. She called, prayed, pleaded, begged for her mother, and even Goddess herself to _make it stop, oh, the pain!_

At the contact of his fingers against her skin, she suddenly flung herself into his arms and held tight. Her grip was strong and he had to sit down beside her to ease the tension in their positions. He waited for her to calm down. Broken sentences escaped her lips; utterances of pain and terror that you wound never expect of a young, innocent girl.

A brief thought flickered in his mind. Perhaps she was not so innocent after all.

Every night her nightmares came. Her screams echo throughout the mansion, bidding him to come like a siren's song. When he reached her side, she would always awaken with a jerk and ask him to stay as she trembled with remembered fear. She would plead, in a voice so soft, steady in the belief that that his mere presence would keep her safe. She asks him to hold her, to make it go away. And to his surprise he find that he could not refuse; could not turn her away in her hour of need.

So gradually, night after night, he got used to sleeping with someone in his arms. In time he gave up the idea of ever sleeping in a bed alone. He would rest his rapier against the nearby wall and resign himself to become another pillow to warm and comfort her as she slumbered and fought her demons.

But she is not the only one who has nightmares.

On nights when his mind replays the things he's seen, the things he's done, she is there for him too. She would hold him gently and he finds comfort in the smell of the flowers that clung to her skin, the scent of a woman in the body of a girl.

They never talk about their nightmares in the morning. It remained with the litanies uttered to the shadows that preyed on them, the whispers and promises made in the dark; that he will always be there for her, that he will never leave her and that it's alright, _shh,_ because he's here now, and he won't allow anyone to hurt her ever again.

* * *

"Genn_y_."

A suppressed giggle, familiar and associated with the mischievous gleam of forest green eyes brought him back to reality. He wonders what he's done to deserve this as the heady scent of flowers, which he'd been trying to ignore, wafted up his nose. He became aware of additional people in the room beyond the leaves and petals in front of his eyes.

"Mrs. Gladwell asked for some irises." Aerith's voice floated from somewhere behind him. There was no mistaking the teasing lilt to her voice; it never bode well for him. A few weeks ago she'd adapted that nickname for him and it now stuck no matter how many times he requested her to correct it. He held back a sigh and trained his eyes to the two women in front of him. They stared intently at him for who knows how long now.

"I'm very sorry but I don't know which of these—" he gestured to the bouquets Aerith shoved into his arms earlier. "…are the ones you desire."

"Oh, I _desire_—" Mrs. Gladwell started, reaching out one hand to the general direction of his face.

"The one on your left. The violet ones." Aerith's voice cut in.

He held out his left hand toward the woman and hoped to keep her at arm's length. She blushed prettily and took it from him without meeting his eyes. He sighed inwardly and fought off an incoming headache. He felt like a piece of meat on display as the woman eyed him like a hungry carnivore, ready to pounce.

The bell on top of the door of the shop rang and a young woman stepped inside. "I'm sorry Ms. Camper but the dandelions are the only flowers I have left today." Aerith called to the other woman who burst in to the shop.

"Oh that's not it… I heard about a gorgeous man—" Her eyes wandered to the direction of the other women in the room and spotted Genesis. "Oh! I'll take him... _it_. I mean, your flowers dear, whatever's left..."

Genesis held back a groan and handed the bouquet to her, holding them at an arm's length again. But the new arrival was bolder than he gave her credit for because one of her hands took the flower while the other closed around his wrist. "Aren't you sweet..." she said, not letting go of his arm. Her grip was firm and she continued the conversation as if she had no plan of letting him go. "It's like you've been holding this out for me..."

He smiled politely and was thankful he had the presence of mind to wear long sleeves today. He did not oblige any of them with further conversation.

"Who is this delightful young man Aerith?" Mrs. Gladwell asked, moving into his line of sight again. He involuntarily took a step backward and looked back at Aerith, a moment of panic broke through his face.

With amusement shining in her young eyes, Aerith calmly walked to stand beside him, gently wrapping her hands around Genesis arm, and disengaged him from Ms. Camper. "He's my boyfriend. He came to help me with my flower shop today."

He bit back an inward groan. This could not get any worse.

"But he seems much older than..." Mrs. Gladwell started.

"Oh, so he's one of_ those_ types..." Ms. Camper said as her eyes gave him another once over.

Scratch that, it had. He counted to three and refused to be baited. Thankfully, they paid and left without further remarks but not without giving a lingering glance to Genesis as they exited. When they were alone, he turned to give a sharp look at Aerith who was trying to suppress a grin but failed magnificently.

"What? You looked like you needed my help."

"I'm perfectly capable of defending myself from unwanted advances." His hands pulled to try and loosen the collar of the turtleneck that he wore as he cleared his throat. He felt more exposed now than ever, having shed his SOLDIER fighting attire for civilian clothes and their tight-fitting styles. He thought he could get through the task of keeping her within his line of sight as she went about his business, but boy had he been wrong.

"Yes, and you'd do so violently I'm sure." She giggled and tugged at his arm. "But where's the fun in that? I sold all my flowers in record time, so now we can go home early! Come on boyfriend," she called as she finished tidying up the shop.

They exited the establishment, Aerith bade her farewells to the other shopkeepers that they passed by on the street and practically skipped as she walked. He took the point for a time but was surprised by the sound of a slap and the slight sting on his behind as Aerith whizzed past, proclaiming victory at having caught him unaware enough to slap his ass. He rolled his eyes and wondered how, at so young an age, could she be so forthcoming with the opposite sex. Then it struck him. _Puberty._ Raging hormones. He groaned inwardly again. He noticed the bright spring in her step, the sway of her hips and the happy glances that she threw back at him. She was almost a woman, he could not deny that. Perhaps not as curvaceous as the other women that has caught his eyes but...

_Don't go there. _He frowned and sighed. He kept her within his sight, waited until she was at a considerable distance, then brought out his phone and pressed the number on speed dial.

"Lazard."

"Speak."

Aerith in front of him suddenly turned around and blew kisses in his direction. "...how long must I tolerate this indignity?"

There was a pause from the other end, as if the other male was seriously considering it. "Will I receive these calls from you every week?"

"...yes."

"One more call like this and I will send Sephiroth to disembowel you. Are we clear?"

A smile started in his face, though he knew it should not be there. "If you send Angeal too, I would die a happy man."

"Genesis..." Lazard practically growled.

"...I'll make it every two weeks."

* * *

Weeks turn into months and they settled into a comfortable routine. The other ShinRa MPs were recalled back to Midgar a few days after he arrived, their 'protection' now rendered useless by his presence. Now only the two of them remained in the house. She never once asked about his sudden appearance, nor how long he planned to stay. She simply accommodated his company and promptly harrassed him at every opportunity.

Still, they had a fair arrangement; she would cook their meals and he would clean up after them. In the mornings, she would do gardening while he went through his exercise routines. In the afternoon, they would spend some quiet time in the library, with her reading, knitting, or sometimes pounding away on the piano. On weekends, they did the laundry, cleaned the house and walked around the countryside if they could spare the time. Once, Aerith even managed to goad him to go shopping at the local market with her but that wasn't an experience that he was willing to go through again.

Sometimes he would catch her talking to herself; mostly in her garden, the indoor greenhouse, or wherever, when she thinks she's alone. There seemed to be something sacred in those moments when she holds a conversation where he could only hear one side of. She would always speak fondly, as if she talked to a loved one who talked back to her in her mind. He never gave those much thought and just chalked it up as another one of her deviant behaviours.

Sometimes he felt that_ she_ hovered over him during both his sleeping and waking hours. She was always there to strike up a conversation about anything and nothing. He suspects that she's made it a point to coax him out of his shell, out of some nonsense about boyfriends and girlfriends knowing everything about each other...

Headache again.

At nights they slept together, sharing his bed. It was common sense. The mansion was large; it got very drafty and the only room with a fireplace upstairs was in his room. It also felt good to share someone's heat in the cold of the night. Those were logical reasons...

Of course if _she_ was asked why they shared the same bed, she would nonchalantly say that it was part of an elaborate plan to invade his personal space and aide in her quest of 'making him fall for her'. That it was ok, she can wait until _he_ was 'ready to take their relationship to the next level' but she wasn't going to deny the pleasure of being in his arms until he got around to accepting the fact that 'they were meant for each other'.

Sleeping beside each other had another effect as well. Gradually, her nightmares stopped coming though there are still times when she would wake up with cold sweat and sob until morning. It was during those few times in the hour before dawn that Genesis would recognize the woman in her that tried so hard to hide behind the girl. He grew fond of the times when she would turn to him and smile tiredly, enjoying the silence and his warmth in a moment of real intimacy just as dawn's light broke through the windows.

* * *

One day, as he sat in the garden reading a book from the library, his phone rang. Genesis stared at the device for a moment, unable to believe the semblance of activity from it after being dormant for so long. He pressed the answer button and held it against his ear.

"Rhapsodos." He could identify the voice from the other end a thousand miles away.

"Angeal?" He could not help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Heard you were playing house in Nibelheim." His eyes drifted involuntarily to Aerith who was watering the nearby bushes while humming a song. "That her? Also heard she's not even legal yet. Never thought you were one to have a Lolita fetish—"

His brow furrowed. "Did you call for any other reason than to mock me?"

A chuckle from the other end. "Part of it, yeah. How are you?"

"Getting a little fat," he answered truthfully.

The other man howled with laughter. "She must be taking good care of you then. I've been meaning to call but we've been busy."

"Rub it in. You're in the heat of action while I'm left to disuse..."

He chuckled. "I'd say you were pretty damn lucky. How many babysitting missions do we get?"

Genesis snorted. Aerith wasn't exactly a girl anymore, though he'd be reluctant to call her a woman. Things would be much easier if he'd been put in charge of a child. Preferably _male_. In any case he will never accept a mission from Lazard again without looking through the information again.

"Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that you won't be hanging your head in the near future."

"You called a day too early."

He chuckled. "You've always had a flair for the dramatic. Try and 'hang in' there just the same." He laughed at his own joke while Genesis rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for the effort, lacking as it was, to cheer me up. Finding new friends have now been bumped high in my list of priorities."

"Don't be like that. At least you're living closer to the grace of nature. The Nibel mountain air should do you good." He heard a door open in the background from Angeal's end and words were exchanged between the new presence and his friend.

"Angeal?" he asked as he tried to place the other voice.

"Ah, yes. It's Genesis..." Angeal replied to the one who addressed him. "Want to talk to him? Hold on..." He heard wind swoosh on the phone before it was caught and placed against something soft that rustled.

"Genesis." The smooth voice of Sephiroth was unmistakable.

"Ah. Should have known you two would be together before long. Any encounters with the Silver Elite recently?"

The other man snorted and Genesis coughed to keep himself from laughing. The General had the largest fanclub among the SOLDIERs and hiding from the stalking fangirls was one thing all three of them had in common. That's one thing to be glad of at least; he no longer had any worries about women shadowing him wherever he went. Or at least, he only had to worry about _one_ girl with such tendencies now.

"You're in Nibelheim... Shin-Ra Mansion?"

"Yes."

"Take very good care of her, Genesis."

"Yes, I know. My mission. No need to remind me, _General_." He said this with thinly veiled contempt. Sephiroth outranked him in formal position and he disliked all reminders of his inferiority to the other man. His eyes flitted to brown head again that moved along the bushes. She raised her head and their eyes met, she smiled immediately and went back to watering the plants.

"Beyond that SOLDIER. You've always wanted to be the hero right? Be hers."

His eyebrow lifted at that. But Sephiroth offered no more words and hung up the phone before any further words were exchanged.

"Something displeases you?" Aerith's voice drifted to him. She was suddenly in front of him, an inquiring gaze in her eyes.

Genesis looked at her then something clicked in his mind. So the mighty General was concerned about the girl. Come to think of it, Aerith did mention that she knew him from before.

"It's nothing..." he said, but was unable to stop the smile that formed in his lips. "You didn't tell me that you were close to the General."

He could not ignore the blush that spread across her cheek as she stared at him. "That was Sephy? He should have said 'hi' at least."

_Sephy? _Genesis looked at her phone, then back to her again. His smile widened. He might finally have discovered a soft spot in the hardened General. "Want to talk to him?"

She was staring at his face as if in shock. She blinked rapidly and turned to look anywhere but his eyes, her blush deepened as she did so. "N-No." She shook her head but the pink in her cheeks did not go away.

_Who's got the Lolita fetish now?_ The smirk remained in his face as he opened his phone again and dialled the General's number. "Someone wants to talk to you," he said by way of greeting and handed the phone to Aerith.

Wide-eyed, she took the phone from him, and without breaking eye contact said hello. Then she frowned then pursed her lips, "Well you didn't say 'hi' to me!". Her eyes flicked toward Genesis, "Yes he's still here..." he held his hand out to take the phone back but he was surprised when she suddenly did an about face and stomped away.

"No. Not until we're finished." Genesis couldn't help but chuckle silently at her persistence. He wondered how long they'd last until the older man would lose his patience. "Yes. Very helpful with my flowershop! I was going to ask him to do deliveries but I don't know if I can rely on him. Sometimes he looks like he's going to have an aneurysm even when he's only holding the flowers for sale." She paused and then laughed at something the other man said.

He snorted and Aerith turned her head back to him and smiled again. Annoyed, he settled down the bench on the porch and went back to the book he brought out earlier. She wandered farther, nearer to the gate but not far enough to drown out her next words. "I'll do that! When are you coming to visit?" Then, "You always say that!" Some more giggles and then, almost as a whisper, "No, he's very handsome..."

His eyes lifted of their own volition and found the back of her head. Did he hear that right? She was stood by the gates; fingered the black metal bars and scratched her nails against the paint. "Maybe I already have..." she half-whispered. "I'm happy!" Her sudden exclamation caught him off guard. Genesis felt heat creep across his cheeks for no discernable reason. He looked at her again and saw that she was looking at him now with a shy smile on her face. "I know." She headed back to his direction then held out the phone. "He wants to talk to you now."

He kept his expression even as he took the phone. "Yes Seph_y_?"

"Break her heart and I'll break your neck." Then the line was dead.

He smiled to himself, 'Sephy' must be pretty pissed off right now. He looked up at Aerith who stood above him, carefully watching the expression on his face. She smelled like the flowers she was tending to earlier and for a second he thought about letting his nose trail the scent up her arms and wherever it may linger in. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Were you talking about me?" He looked up at her and noticed the tendrils of chestnut hair that escaped her braid framed her face perfectly.

"Yes." Then she bent forward and gave him a chaste peck on his lips, then pulled back a little to look deeply into his eyes.

"What are you doing?" A small frown was on his face, but he couldn't help but feel amused either. How can this girl be so shy one moment and be so bold the next?

"I'm kissing the most gorgeous man I've ever met..." She didn't even bat an eyelash as she said it.

His blue eyes meet hers quite calmly. "Aren't you too young to_ try_ to seduce me?"

She smiled that bright sunny smile that could have blinded lesser men. "I'm old enough to start."

She kissed him again. There was nothing decidedly chaste about it this time around.

* * *

Extra Scene: Aerith – Sephiroth Phone Conversation

_"Hello…"_

_"Aerith? You made Genesis call me?"_

_"Well you didn't say 'hi' to me!"_

"_He's more whipped than I thought. Give the phone back to him."_

_"No. Not until we're finished."_

"_Hold on." A door opened and closed. Footsteps. Then silence again. "You're bullying me even over the phone? You haven't changed." A chuckle. "Is he treating you alright?"_

_"Yes. Very helpful with my flowershop! I was going to ask him to do deliveries but I don't know if I can rely on him. Sometimes he looks like he's going to have an aneurysm even when he's only holding the flowers for sale!"_

_Laughter. "You find the most creative ways to make people suffer. Why don't you make him sing and dance while you're at it?"_

_A chuckle. "I'll do that! When are you coming to visit?"_

_"Soon."_

_"You always say that!"_

_"You know how our lives are." Silence. "I'm glad he's there with you. I don't know why he was sent, maybe I'll find out more… Do you have any objections to his presence?"_

_"No, he's very handsome..."_

_"I said presence not appearance. Are you falling in love with him?"_

_"Maybe I already have..." _

_"Aerith... You know how dangerous it is…"_

_"I'm happy!"_

_"Be careful." A deep breath. "You don't know what'll happen when they decide to..." _

_"I know." She cut him off.  
_

"_Very well. Put him back on so I can make sure he takes care of you."_

"_Yes, Sephy?"_

_All words of wisdom to impart went away at the use of his moniker._ "_Break her heart and I'll break your neck." _

Phone call end.

_

* * *

_

_You know you want to review, no one's stopping you... :D  
_


	3. Chapter 3

**A / N** : There is mild adult content in this chapter.

* * *

_I relinquish to your powers._

_From your grasp, I just can't hide_

_

* * *

_It's been half a year since he came to live with her.

If he were honest with himself, he could admit that it was only a matter of time before the walls between them fell away in the face of her dogged pursuit and determination. It was like osmosis; eventually, two very different beings level out on one another and blend. This was how he formed attachments to Angeal and Sephiroth, even though the three of them were as distinctive as morning, noon and night.

It was like that too with Aerith.

Only, it was very different as well. She brushed aside the difference in their age and opened his arms the way you throw open a window during a storm; smiling and unapologetic, with just a hint of insanity. Then she held on to him without any intention of letting go.

He could say that what happened between them one night when she was feeling particularly brave (and he could swear that there was something in the food he ate) was a simple meeting of flesh. It was only natural, after all, for them to come together the way only a man and a woman would. Besides, she was old enough for that; the curves her body revealed to him as she slid down her green robes were proof enough.

She initiated, and he just... stopped resisting.

She doesn't question him about his past lovers and he doesn't ask who initiated her in the ways between the sheets, nor of the small, precise scars that mar her milky white skin. What was important was the way a blush covers her face when she achieves completion, the ragged way she breathes his name, her surrender and abandonment to his pleasure. She would cling to him afterward, as if she would drown had his arms not been there to hold her afloat… It was always strange how he felt after their encounters. Not so much the feeling of hangover or regret after a particularly wild night, but that of being intoxicated all over again.

What was this girl doing to him? He tried to resist for the sake of his sanity (and he fancied, for her modesty too). There was, after all, the difference in their age. She was too _young_, too _uninitiated_ in the ways of the world.

But he was slowly, surely, making a woman out of her. His hands were sculpting the curves she would fill in the years to come, his preferences are defining her habits and persuasion. He was sure that whatever space he made for her, she would readily fill in. She accommodated him like that. After all she did say that she wanted him to look at her and only her.

One morning, he woke up to find the edges of her long brown braid circled around his wrist. He smiled, amused. _So possessive._ Was this her way of making sure he wouldn't wander elsewhere while she's asleep? It was the first time he ever encountered hair used as a leash. Maybe Sephiroth could learn a thing or two in the use of alternative materials for binding people. He certainly had the material to work with, he sniggered in his mind.

He looked down at the top of her head and wondered, not for the first time, if he should really be here with her. He was more than a little worried about the repercussions for giving in to baser desires with her. After all, she _still_ wasn't legal. He should have asked her about her parents before they got to this point. Would they allow him to live or cut him up into small, separate pieces? He sighed. Damn the brain in his lower regions for leading the charge, and damn her too for being such a temptress! He was determined to ask her about them at the first possible opportunity.

Which would be now, apparently.

"Aerith..." he began. He knew she was awake by the telltale change in her breathing. "Who are you?"

Her eyes fluttered open, she felt it feather against his bare chest, but she did not move otherwise. "You already know me better than most." He could feel the teasing smile on her lips while her hands trailed down his abdomen, settling between his legs as she wrapped her fingers—tightly—around her prize.

Genesis took a deep breath as he felt the natural reaction to her touch. He gripped her shoulders and brought her up to face him before he lost all reason again.

She tried to kiss him but he turned away. "I mean, you must be someone important. Are you the President's daughter?"

She laughed at that, her body pleasantly vibrated as she shook her head. "No."

"Are you Sephiroth's sister?"

She laughed again and succeeded in landing a peck to his lips. "He would perhaps be the closest to a brother I'll ever have… but no."

_Then why am I here?_ _Who are your parents?_ But his thought process was interrupted by something more immediate. Aerith hadn't let go of his member and he could feel his blood go down south. "I want to..." he took a deep breath as he steadied himself. He bent his head and nuzzled his chin against her head as she continued her ministrations. "...know who will come after me for corrupting a minor."

She stopped for a split second and looked up at him wide-eyed. "No one will! My parents, they approve of you... With you, no one can harm me... You are here with me. _Here. Now_." There was a strange desperation that crept into her voice as she resumed the motions of her hands with fervour. She rained kisses on his neck and shoulder.

Genesis opened his mouth to voice his disapproval but it came out as a groan. "Aerith...!"

That night, her nightmares came back with a vengeance.

* * *

"_MOTHER!_" Aerith screamed. She bolted awake and let out a long drawn out wail. He sat up, hand automatically smoothed down her back. She had not had a nightmare in a while, although this one seemed different. She cried hysterically, and for the first time, shunned his touch. She got off the bed and ran outside the door, crying desperately as she headed for the bathroom down the hall. The door slammed closed.

Genesis got up to follow after her but was interrupted by his ringing phone. Curious, he sauntered over and saw the person trying to reach him from the other end. "Sephiroth?" The digital clock indicated that it was 2 hours past midnight. "Don't you ever sleep, you madman?"

"I apologize for the hour but it's urgent. I have to speak with Aerith." His voice from the other end was tightly composed, a strain was apparent in his usual droll monotone.

"She's indisposed at the moment." He turned to the direction of the door where he could still hear the muffled sobs.

"So she knows already…"

"She knows _what_?" That came out more harshly than he'd intended. What did the silver haired General know that he didn't? He was eager to go back to blissful, uninterrupted sleep.

He was silent for a while. "Her mother passed away," he replied almost as an afterthought.

"You knew who she was?" Whatever made him hope that he could go back to sleep tonight was gone. Aerith was distraught, her mother was dead and the General called him in the middle of the night knowing something that he did not. His mind went into overdrive. There was something that was happening or just happened and he had no idea what it was. Something tugged at his gut. He felt betrayed somehow.

"Listen to me very carefully now…" The General used a steely voice that he has witnessed him use to dish out threats. "I want you take her away from the mansion, away from Shin-Ra and disappear."

Genesis took calming breaths and would have glared at the General if he could. He cannot operate optimally on incomplete information! He needed to know more and he needed to stay calm. "Explain yourself."

"She is in danger. The most important thing is her safety. You should move right away."

"In danger from _what?_ I have to talk to Lazard to inform him of…"

"_No!_ Do _not_ let _anyone_ know of your whereabouts, not even Angeal or me! Her life is more important than _any_ of ours, do you understand?" That was perhaps the most emotion he ever witnessed Sephiroth express in all their years together. Not even when he was close to dying did his tone rise. Forget betrayal, he felt angry now.

"No, I don't! And you better _start making sense _because I'm not going to do _anything_ before I know what's going on!" His voice got louder as he went on. "How can I be effective if you people don't even _deign_ to inform me what I'm supposed to protect her from?" He felt his rage simmer when Aerith's hand touched his arm. He turned and studied her red rimmed eyes and cheeks still moist with tears that glistened in the moonlight.

"D-Don't be mad at Sephy, I'll explain," she said haltingly, almost pleadingly to him. "But he's right, we should leave now."

"Aerith?" cackled the voice from the other end. She reached for his phone and he let her have it.

"Sephy…?" she whispered to the receiver.

"Go with Genesis. He'll bring you somewhere safe."

"Yes…"

"I'm… sorry I couldn't be there for you. Take care of yourself."

Tears fell from Aerith's eyes again. She wiped them as she said, "I knew… I knew it couldn't last... Goodbye then." It felt like she would have liked to say more but did not.

"Goodbye..."

Aerith gave the phone back to Genesis and he almost closed it when he heard Sephiroth's voice come alive again from the other end.

"Sephiroth?"

"Genesis… _please_. Take care of her, keep her safe from harm. She will need you now, more than ever." He never heard the proud man beg, yet there was no mistake about pleading his tone now. There were many things that could be implied from this development and he didn't like any of them.

Still. He had his honor, Angeal made sure of that, even if his other actions might suggest otherwise. It was his mission to protect her and he will do so to the best of his abilities.

"I swear it."

* * *

After carefully packing provisions for their journey, they made their way through the mountains, choosing the dangerous path out of town as he formed a plan in his mind. Where could they seek refuge? Would it be better to stay away from the main continent and areas within Shin-Ra's spheres of influence or should they hide right under their nose? Neither of them spoke as he pondered their course of action and she grieved in silence for her deceased mother.

The biting mountain wind got everywhere as they trudged through trails rarely used during day time. At nights, he wrapped his arms around her to ward off the night chill. He patiently waited for her to explain their predicament. He knew she would speak when she was ready.

On their third day, she broke her silence just as the sun was setting down in the sky.

"Genesis… I'm not human."

He stopped his trek and questioned his ears and sanity. He was sure he heard that right. He turned to her and eyed her carefully. She said it with such sadness it tugged at something inside him. Not human? Did she think herself lower than they were? But how could she claim that when he could clearly see the way the sun brought out golden strands in her hair, when he could clearly remember the way she fit into his arms, how her pulse raced while they pursued pleasure with their all too human bodies and...

"I'm an Ancient…" she whispered and came to stand before him but did not meet his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

He could swear the world slowed to a standstill at her words. _Not a monster no... but still something different. Still not human._ He met her eyes but stayed silent as he waited for her to continue.

"My... my father was a scientist. His name was Dr. Gast Faremis. He worked for Shin-Ra." She shook her head and tears started to fall down her cheek. "He _used _to work for Shin-Ra but then he ran away with my mother who was a… a subject of Shin-Ra's research. They had me and we were happy for a while. But then..." Her voice caught and she buried her face between her hands. "I was caught and then they agreed to come back to Shin-Ra's service in exchange for my freedom."

He heard of Dr. Gast though he's never personally met the man. They say he preferred the reclusiveness of his labs to actual human contact. He was one of the few scientists who wanted nothing to do with the SOLDIER program. Was he the one who sent protection for her daughter? And what did she mean 'freedom'? "You weren't really free, were you?" He spoke softly. It started to make sense now. The mansion, the lifestyle, the guards stationed there when he first arrived. They weren't there to make sure of her protection, but to keep an eye at her. "You were well-provided for at Nibelheim but you weren't allowed to wander anywhere else..."

"Yes. I lived under their watchful eyes. Sure, I never wanted for anything, and I could do what I wanted to, but Sephiroth, he told me, they kept me there because they were going to... to _use_ me after my mother..."

Genesis frowned. He knew of the human experiments in Shin-Ra. After all, SOLDIERs were a type of them, after a fashion. "You said your mother, the Ancient, was a subject? A _test_ subject?"

"Y-Yes, she was usually... subjected to experiments." Her voice caught at her throat at this, but she shook away the stubborn tears that made its way down her cheek. "Now that my mother is dead, I am the last of my kind... The last Cetra..."

Genesis kept his distance. He knew she wanted to be comforted but he was determined to get to the bottom of this without further interruptions physical contact would surely bring about. "Ancients... the Cetra. I've read of them but they're usually surrounded by myths. What exactly does it mean to be one?"

"We have... a connection to the Planet. I can hear her voice, her will... I am connected to all living things. When we die, our spirit lives on in the lifestream. We are not born again, unlike humans whose soul reincarnates after each life."

It was his turn to frown. That sounded useless. It did not warranty her 'special asset' status in the company. "What does Shin-Ra want with the Ancients then?"

"Mother said… they wanted to find the Promised Land. A land full of magic and mako... at least that is what they believe." With each word she began to compose herself and now she turned away from him and rested one of her hands gently on a nearby outcropping of rock. The motion struck him then, it was as if she touched another being who can feel.

"You do not?"

She shook her head sadly. "I do not think it exists in this world. Mother said we return to the Promised Land when we die. It is futile to search for it while we are still alive."

"You speak with your mother then?"

"Eve_ry_day." Her voice caught in her throat. "I speak with her still, but I know that she is gone now. She is in the lifestream. And my father... he is not well either. I fear it will be a short time before... before he decides to join her."

"Hn." He sighed. How does he explain this to her? "You do know that Shin-Ra sent me to protect you, right?"

Aerith turned her head to his side, meeting his eyes. "I knew you were SOLDIER the moment they brought your unconscious form down from the helicopter. At first I thought it was Sephy, finally come to visit me but I'm glad it was you..."

"You trust me, even if I part of the very corporation that may very well be hunting for you now?"

"I don't trust them but I trust _you_..."

"Why?"

"Sephy told me about you even before you came. And I've read about you from the news, saw your face from the picture of the three of you that Sephy carried with him at all times..." She confessed. "I used to ask him about you all the time."

A faint smile crossed his features. He had a good idea of what that picture might be. Angeal insisted on a group photo during a rare break they got after the end of the Wutai war. He developed three copies of a picture where they all grinned like idiots, courtesy of the obscene amount of alcohol they had dumped into their systems. He gave each one of them a copy. His own was left in his room back in Midgar, framed and displayed near his bed. He would have never suspected the General brought his copy with him at all times.

"I could never take my eyes off you even from then..." she admitted with a blush. "You have a very old soul. I could sense it even then. Beloved of the Goddess... I knew our paths would cross someday. And I knew that I would love you and _only_ you."

He stiffened. Despite all her demonstrations of affection, she never once mentioned she loved him before. She seemed to have matured overnight. He shook his head. _That's impossible._ "You're too young to know the meaning of the word. Just because we shared-"

She turned around to face him, shaking her head. "You don't have to believe me. But I know what I feel. I love you, Genesis."

He grunted, not quite sure what to say in response to that. New questions formed in his head but he decided not to voice them just yet; she looked tired and will need to rest soon.

They did not speak again that night.

* * *

"Do you find me repulsive?"

Genesis turned to find that she stopped marching a few steps behind. Tears made its way down her cheeks and he groaned inwardly at the sight of her; a mess of a teenager he had to deal with. "Aerith..." he began as he walked back to her. "Why do you say that?"

"You haven't touched to me or spoken to me since I t-told you about what I am!" her outburst came and she sat on the ground wiping her tears. He had to fight back a smile at the picture she made. He knew a tantrum when he saw one. He used to throw one all the time while he was a child. But, he thought as his eyes lingered on her form, he knew the body beneath the heavy clothes she wore. Based on that alone he knew she could no longer be called a child. He was about to come close to her to silence her rambling in the most effective way he knew, when he noticed the shadow on the ground...

"Don't _move_!" he screamed as he saw descending talons aim for her upturned head from behind. In a split second his rapier was out, slicing through the air a hair's breadth above her head and impaled the winged monster several feet from where she sat. She turned behind her for a look and screamed at the sight of a flock of winged creatures in the sky that dove with a shrill cry.

"Get behind me!" Genesis commanded as his right hand suddenly caught fire, he threw globes of flame at the incoming flock, one for every creature. Screeches and desperate flaps of wind filled the air around them as the monsters were engulfed by the magical flare. Genesis' eyes darted about, looking for further signs of possible monsters. Burnt feathers and charred lumps dropped to the ground. He was about to turn back to make sure she was alright when a sound of a gunshot reverberated through the air. He crouched with one hand out to protect her form as he scanned the surrounding area for the source of the disturbance.

A thump sounded as another bird landed near Genesis, too near for comfort. His eyes went to the source of the gunshot sound and there, on one mound just behind a collection of rock, stood a dark haired young boy with a gun. Carcasses of the monster birds were slung in a rope that hung low in his waist and he shouldered the smoking gun before smiling and calling out "You missed one!" to him.

Genesis was still for a moment, assessing the area around them for more threats. Then he walked toward his rapier and pulled it free, flicked it once to get rid of the mess, and sheathed it. He nodded to the boy; he took that as a sign to come closer to them and practically _bounced_ down the rocks. "Don't meet that much people up here in the mountains." He said as he got to his side. "I'm Zack by the way, I've been trailing that flock for days! Their meat is in good demand over at my hometown you know? Oh and that was _so_ cool what you did with the fire. Did you use materia? I don't have fire, but I do have a lightning materia but even then I don't think I've mastered it enough to do what you just did-"

"Zack." He interrupted, cutting him off.

"Yeah man?" he said with a grin on his face.

"Do you mind if I attended to the lady first?"

"Oh, sure, yeah. _Sorry back there!_" he said with a wave to Aerith's direction.

Genesis went back to Aerith who still sat trembling. Her eyes were fixed at the ground before him. He knelt in front of her and took in her dishevelled appearance. Some of the hair had escaped from her braid and fanned around her face. She looked hopelessly lost, but more importantly, she was unharmed. He wiped her tears with his gloved hands, and regretted it, suddenly aware of the rough surface of his gloves. Still she leaned toward his touch. "Sound attracts predators. You and I need time to think. We'll talk again when we reach a safe place. Alright?"

She could only nod but when she looked at him again, her eyes were filled with hope. She lunged herself at him and hugged tightly. He could hear Zack give an embarrassed cough in the back ground but he ignored it. He held her for as long as she wanted to be held.

"Silly girl."

* * *

Zack extended an invitation to look him up at the Fair farm in Gongaga if they ever passed that way. He was very talkative, rivalled only by now-happy-again Aerith. It was hell for his ears. Zack had gone with them until they reached a fork in the road which he explained was the trail that he came from. He had collected enough birds from his trip and had to head back. With a wink and a gesture down Aerith's way, Zack smiled and said "Goodluck with her, yeah?". The two got along quite well; Aerith finally found someone to match her motormouth.

"We'll invite you to our wedding!" Aerith called as he walked away.

He shook his head and settled for a sigh. "Was it wise to talk to him so much?" he asked when they walked side by side. "He might inform Shin-Ra of our whereabouts."

"Oh relax! I didn't tell him anything important. And he's a really nice guy." Then she turned to him with a gleam in her eye. "You know if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous of him. You barely said a word when he was here."

He gave her a mildly irritated look which promptly earned him some giggles. He realized he hasn't heard that sound in a while. He sort of missed it.

"Wait a minute, you were, weren't you?" She linked her arms with him and hugged the arm she caught. "Oh Genny, don't worry! He's cute, but why would I want him when I have you?"

He glanced down at the top of her head. "I liked you better when you were quiet."

"So you do _like_ me!"

"Goddess..." This wasn't going to end, was it? He rubbed his temple. Why did he take this mission again? Maybe he should have gotten rid of her when he had he chance.

* * *

The inside of the cave they settled in was littered with crystals and phosphorescent moss that glowed in the dark, as well as a pool of natural spring water. It was right beside a deep lake and surrounded by mountains on all sides. It was a good place to stake out in, he thought. After they've made camp and dined on the game Genesis found he came to her as she sat beside the waters.

"This place is sacred..." she mused as he heard him settle behind her. She sighed as his arms went around her and she snuggled closer to him. "I can feel the spirits that linger and guard this place. We'll be safe here."

He nodded. There was only one entry point that he could discern and it was easily defensible considering the rocks and stalagmites that made the tunnel entrance small before it hollowed out to the space inside. They set up their camp behind some luminescent crystals, away from plain view. "Now will you tell me the rest?" They could talk about it uninterrupted and he needed to know as much as he could. "Who is after you?"

Aerith sighed and leaned back to his arms. "There's one scientist in particular... Professor Hojo."

Genesis tensed at the mention of the name. Oh, he knew his reputation well; the few stories that Sephiroth shared and his own run-ins with the man convinced him that the scientist had loose grip on sanity. "Why is he after you?"

Aerith sighed. "He wants to unlock the mystery of life. To make stronger, faster... _perfect_ beings. As powerful as gods."

His eyebrows lifted. "How absurd." It was a foolish notion that proved that the scientist was clearly off his rocker. But perhaps he shouldn't be so surprised. The SOLDIERs were constantly pushing the limits of human strength and endurance; the enhancements upon his own body were proof enough that the science was pushed in that direction.

And then of course, there was the General himself, who was already a demi-god by most accounts. "How did you meet Sephiroth?"

A weak laugh escaped her lips. "He was the one that kidnapped me..." she thought for a second. "I think it was 8 years ago?"

"Ah." He joined the army when he was 15, just as Sephiroth first met the 7 year old Aerith.

"He was also... my first." She whispered so softly he would never have caught it had he not been close to her at the time. He tensed. Whatever happened to being her one and _only_ love?

Aerith lifted her head and turned to him, suddenly upset. "No it's..." She looked away as she realized what she had given away. "I'm sorry I..."

He frowned. "You're making it worse Aerith. Just tell me."

"It happened b-before things became peaceful..." She kept her head turned away from him. "You've seen my scars," she continued, her voice was a mere whisper now. "Those were a result of the experiments Hojo did to me. To test my tolerance for pain and..." her voice caught in her throat and she was silent for a few moments before she continued again. "W-when I had my first menstruation he declared that it was time that I started... b-breeding."

Genesis was stunned. He was suddenly more aware of the coldness in the room.

"He made Sephy do it... He believed combining our genetics would create superior species. It wasn't his fault!" She shook her head and looked everywhere but his face. "He was given something that made it unbearable unless... it was done. He was gentle with me... it wasn't as bad as it could have been." She trailed off. She buried her face in her hands and started crying again. "You hate me now, don't you?"

"Did you conceive?"

"No."

"How many men have you had before me?'

"J-just Sephiroth…"

"How many times?"

"I don't _know!_"

"Did he tell you he loved you?" Her face, which she hid behind her splayed hands snapped around to meet his eyes. "Answer, Aerith." He said in a voice that betrayed nothing of what he felt.

"Y-yes."

He stopped his breath. "And do you love him?"

"_No!_ You're the one I love!"

He shook his head and faced her completely. He felt angry, like he was cheated somehow, even though all those things happened before they met. She and the General were closer to each other than to other person they knew, and that bond formed from carnal knowledge. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his noise. He should have known better. He should have suspected this... the familiarity, the nicknames, the overarching concern... Aerith had captured Sephiroth's heart.

And what of him? Was he just another prize for her?

_No. I'm **not** Sephiroth._ He could think of one way he could ascertain her profession of love."You're too young to know what love is. But you're not too young to learn about _lust_. I will gladly teach you the difference between the two."

He kissed her and took her harshly that night. He was blind to the tears that fell down from her eyes and deaf to the fervent proclamations of love that escaped her lips. He made sure that he caused more hurt than pleasure in his actions as he chased his release without regard for her own. He took her several times that night, not letting her rest until both they were exhausted physically and emotionally.

In the morning, she was still there, cradled against him with a troubled look on her face. He half-expected her to be gone, nursing feelings of betrayal and hurt because of his behavior last night. But still, she remained here with him.

He looked at her closely now. There were dark circles under her eyes; the emotional burden she's carried and the weariness of being on the road for days on end finally showing itself. She slept fitfully, called for her mother, and shivered despite the warmth of their tangled bodies. He brought his palm down to her and turned her chin to face him more fully.

"Genesis..." she murmured as she sensed his touch. At the reminder of his presence, she relaxed and sank down into deep sleep once more.

He frowned. She trusted him. Trusted him _completely_. And she loved him. If he were to believe her, she chose him though it was unclear why. It could be a mistake on her part. She was young after all, and would many more mistakes in the years to come. But she chose him still.

_Stupid girl..._ he tightened his arms around her. _Young, naive, impressionable girl... and mine. All mine.  
_

A tear slid down his cheek and he was quick to wipe it away.

* * *

_Thank you to all my lovely reviewers! I've never tried to write Genesis, Aerith or even Sephiroth in this way before, so I'm glad I'm getting them through well enough. _

_Two more chapters to go!_


	4. Chapter 4

_They say I have to be aware_

_that one day you won't let me go_

_I'll drown, you'll take me down_

* * *

"I have some things I want to make clear."

Genesis' voice echoed in the hollow spaces of the cave. Aerith turned to him but did not meet his eyes. They had just partaken their first meal; a combination of fish he caught from the lake and some leftover trail food they brought from Nibelheim. "I am most likely considered a rogue SOLDIER now, so we will both hunted and unwelcome in most civilized places."

She nodded and waited for him to continue. She had not uttered a word since that morning and avoided his eyes. But whenever her fingers came into contact with his skin, it lingered. Like when he draped a jacket over her form, when she took the plate he offered… He sighed. "I made a vow. I will protect you. But if you wish to find Sephiroth—"

"I've told you, I don't love him!" Her sudden declaration rang out clearly in the cavern. Her eyes were bright and desperate now that it finally met with his. She bit her lip and shook her head, lowering her eyes once more. The curls that framed her face bounced at the movement and he briefly wondered why he's never seen her in that way before; her hair was down and her were feelings raw, intense, passionate.

She wore her heart out on her sleeve. For him, she said. _Only for him._

"What would it take…?" she continued in a voice that floated like a bubble in the air, so delicate, so easy to break. "It's you, it will always be you…"

He was silent as he considered her words and felt humbled by them. She would not dare to lie, not here, not in the sanctity of this place. He closed his eyes and took a steady breath, then he continued his speech. "I made a vow. I will protect you. But if you wish to find Sephiroth, then _we_ will go. If you do not want to, that's fine too. Either way I will _stay_—" her head snapped up, eyes bright with wild hope, "…with you." He bent his head and averted his eyes. He mustn't look at her, he knows he mustn't look at her if he wanted to finish what he wanted to say. "You deserve the truth Aerith. You profess love for me but I'm not sure about what I feel. I'm sorry if I've hurt you, if I've acted irrationally," he paused and shook his head. "Maybe I don't deserve your feelings. But I promise that I'll stay, I promise to protect you with my life. I can't promise you love but... I hope that's enough." He's had enough of his eyes roaming across cold unfeeling walls so he takes a deep breath and meets the iridescent green of hers. A disbelieving smile was on her face and even as her cheeks glittered with her tears. Suddenly she jumped the scant distance between them and hugged him tightly, not caring of the uncomfortable angle of their contact.

A small smile curved on his lips as he angled his body to receive her embrace fully. He inhaled deeply as his arms came around her as well.

"It is..." She murmured against his skin. "You're here with me. That's more than enough…"

* * *

_Stay with me? _She asked it with the way her hands gripped his shoulder, the way she looked at him as she lowered herself upon him.

_Hold me? _She asked it in the way her tongue danced with his, the way she sighed and exhaled as he touched her in places that made her squirm.

She gasps and tilts her head upward as her hair fell all around her in a rush much like the one running through her skin now, but he holds back, he always holds back and waits until she takes her pleasure. He instead focuses his eyes on the sweat that runs down the side of her temple, down the side of her cheek, toward her jaw, down her neck… He leans in and tastes the errant drop and she sighs and clutches him more tightly.

_Love me? _She starts to move again and his hands wrap around her hips as he steadies her, pulls her closer as his tongue seeks more of her skin.

"Genesis…!" she whispers against his ear before she gently nibbles on it.

He shudders and let silence be his answer.

* * *

She was not well.

It had been months since they settled in the Crystal Cave and the strain was showing. She was thinner, had frequent bouts of indigestion and was tired most of the time. He had to act. So he made a decision to separate from her for a short while and found it harder than he originally thought. It was necessary, however; he needed to restock on food items, things that she could actually consume without throwing up, some medicinal items and perhaps hear a bit of news. He pored through the map of the region with her repeatedly before he left, making sure she knew the path to Gongaga and from there book passage to Wutai to disappear amongst the natives. He gave her his extra gil and made her promise to leave him behind if he is not back after a day, saying that he'll find her eventually, wherever she ends up in.

After much protests and tears, she finally relented and promised to do as he asked.

He left before the sun rose the following day. He travelled at a fast pace and arrived at noontime in the gates of Cosmo Canyon. Genesis, with his long red hair tied back by a knot and securely placed under a dark knitted hat spoke to the sentinel with a thick northern accent that he was a backpacker and has been camping on the road for days. He shook his boots from the mud that wouldn't come off for emphasis, bemoaning how much he missed a nice, warm bed and not being feasted upon by insects. The sentinel laughed at his discomfort and mentioned that such is the fate of those who trod too closely to nature. They exchanged some more pleasantries and he caught wind that Shin-Ra has been more active in the region lately and the elders were worried about how this would affect their town. Genesis shrugged and feigned disinterest but made a mental note to make an appearance at the inn and gather more information from the other guests who were staying there.

After being allowed entrance, he went straight to the rows of cave that held the stores. Having bought the things he intended, he made a quick stop to the weapons store and bought a small, concealable dagger for Aerith. It could help her, though he prayed she would never find use for it. Through discreetly placed inquiries he was able to find out that they had put out a search for him, but not a bounty. He was declared Missing in Action, but there was no mention of Aerith. He toyed about the idea of getting in touch with Lazard but remembered Sephiroth's words and decided against it. The sun was already setting down when he passed through a chocobo stall and, wary of not making in time back to their cave, bought a sturdy one. He exited the village through another way and made several confusing trails before releasing the chocobo halfway hiking back to the cave on foot, setting a brisk pace.

The moon was already high in the sky when he made it back to the cavern. Even before he neared the entrance, he could sense that something was amiss. He could see an outline of an animal tied to a tree near the entrance. He frowned as he slowly advanced toward the chocobo. He held his walking stick tightly and regretted leaving his sword with Aerith, for fear it might be recognized in the settlement. He crept along the inside of the cave and was about to turn to the main cavern when a foot lashed out, aiming for his knees. He pivoted in time and caught the leg before it could retreat, hauling a small body and throwing it against the cavern wall. There was a feminine "_oomph_" as the body collided with stone but in a split second the figure was back on her feet again, taking a defensive stance with her fists raised to the level of her eyes.

He raised an eyebrow. It was just a girl with brown hair and a curious reddish brown eyes that flashed angrily at him. She launched into an attack sequence which he was easily able to dodge. The girl was no match for him, but if she had a death wish, he would gladly oblige. He gripped his staff and prepared to go on offensive when the girl suddenly screamed "_run_!", presumably to her companions.

"Tifa, no!" said another, more familiar voice. Suddenly a familiar brown head was out and Aerith placed her body before him, her arms spread out. "It's Genesis!"

The girl in front of her immediately lowered her fists and straightened out. "Oh." She blew her bangs out of her face. "I thought you said he was cute. This one looks like he's in sore need of a bath."

Genesis loosened his hold on his weapon and removed the knitted hat that covered most of his features. He turned to Aerith who now looked up to him while suppressing her smile and narrowed his eyes. He looked back to the other brunette.

"Start talking."

* * *

Tifa Lockheart stayed with them for a couple of days and was a tremendous help when it came to caring for Aerith. She was born and bred in the mountainous region and was quick to remind Genesis of this every time they went to forage or hunt, displaying familiarity with both the flora and fauna of the area. Most of the time, she kept to herself, though it was apparent that she shared a deep bond with Aerith, who often sang praises for her friend.

Now that he knew her full name, he did remember reading of the Lockheart family in the file sent with him on his mission. She was the mayor's daughter, around the same age as Aerith. Their family was one of the oldest and most prestigious in the little mountain town. "How come I never saw her back in Nibelheim?" Genesis asked Aerith one time when Tifa was outside the cavern to tend to her chocobo.

A sad look crossed Aerith's features. "She went away a few days before you arrived to look for a boy that left her behind."

"A… boy?" He raised an eyebrow at her words. Tifa often tied her hair up, acted in a tomboyish manner, and paid more time grooming her green chocobo than herself. She had even insisted on sparring with him everyday; it was only through the close quarters afforded him during those moments that made him appreciate her subtle beauty and the curves she hid underneath loose clothing that hinted at so much more.

"He went away about a year ago to become a SOLDIER." Her eyes glittered and came closer to him. "Maybe you've heard of him? His name is Cloud Strife. He's got spiky blond hair that sticks out in all directions and baby blue eyes as clear as the sky."

Genesis shook his head. "I don't recall ever seeing anyone like that. What is it with you young girls and SOLDIER?" He threw an annoyed look at Aerith when her arms came around him. She giggled and buried her face against him. "SOLDIER has nothing to do with it. It has always been clear to me who I love. But it's been hard for Tifa. She loved Cloud since they were children, but then he left before she could even tell him. Immediatey after that, she decided herself to she'd find him and ask him to come back with her or to take her with him. But… she couldn't find him anymore."

Genesis watched the light reflected in the crystals around the cave, and waited for her to continue.

"She's been to Midgar, Junon, and most places in the Southern Continent but there wasn't any clue that Cloud arrived there at all. She said they've been to this cave once before, something they discovered one summer when they went exploring together. She was pretty surprised to see me here, I guess she was expecting to see someone else here." Aerith sighed. "She said she's not giving up, that she's merely taking a break before she goes to look for him again; she's going back to Nibelheim after this, and see if maybe he's sent her a letter or something in the meantime. But Genesis… I don't feel Cloud anymore, I fear that he may no longer be among the living."

"I honesty don't see what the problem is." His voice was smooth when it came out. "You're young. This is for you specifically _Tifa_," he said this without turning to where she stood in the shadows, eavesdropping on their conversation. "You're what, 16? Men will come and go in your life, you haven't even started. To waste your affection on someone who isn't even there doesn't make sense. His dream was obviously more important to him, and you're just a consolation prize. Are you content to hang on to a false hope, when you know deep down that had he wanted, he could have chosen you to begin with? Why don't you go find someone else who will love you more than some pipe dream?"

Aerith turned to see tears running down Tifa's cheeks. She stood up to go to her side. "Oh Tifa… I'm sorry, you don't have to listen to anything he says. He's—"

Tifa sniffled and wiped her eyes. "No. He's right. The worst thing you can do to someone is make them wait. And Cloud… he always made me wait. I can't spend my life waiting for him, I _won't_."

"Oh Tifa…"

"I've been stupid Aerith. And I'm not too proud to admit it." She cried and all her pent-up frustrations came rushing out. Genesis took that as his cue to leave the two alone and decided to take a walk around the lake, circling it twice and taking a swim before he ventured inside once again.

The two girls had both fallen asleep by the dying fire. Tifa's arms were curled around Aerith's midsection and held onto her as a mother would a child. He smirked at the picture they made and laid down behind Aerith, draping over a blanket over their forms. He was reminded yet again of just how young both were, and that there was something wrong with him, surely, to want to stay with someone who wouldn't be legal for another 3 years.

* * *

Tifa decided to go back to Nibelheim the next day. They said their goodbyes even before the sun was high in the sky. Aerith's tears were streaming down her face again as she hugged her friend tightly, as if they may not see each other again. Tifa assured her that she will find a way to visit and to help them during winter which, judging from the falling leaves was only a few weeks away. Aerith nodded and after one last hug, she turned and went back inside the cave, saying that she was unable to bear the sight of anyone leaving.

"Genesis…" Tifa turned to him after Aerith went out of earshot. He looked at her and noticed that her face was free from mud stains for the first time since he saw her. Her short brown hair was brushed neatly and allowed to flow freely behind her, Aerith's handiwork most probably. He looked at her curiously, as if seeing her for the first time. She was going to be a stunning woman in a few more years; the type that men would never want to leave. He smiled and something in his heart swelled, knowing that he was probably the first man to see this new side of her, and he couldn't wait to see how she would turn out in the future.

She smiled shyly at him. "T-Thank you for setting me straight Genesis. I guess you're not so bad after all." She tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ears and turned her wandering eyes at him. She took a deep breath as if to gather her strength. "I want to return the favour and set you straight, too. Consider it my gift to you, even if it was not mine to give…" She leaned forward and embraced him. Then she turned her mouth to his ear, to whisper something that made his blood run cold.

She pulled back after a while and smiled at him sweetly. Then she turned to her chocobo, adjusted her seat and mounted. "Take care of them," she said before she started to trot through the path in the forest. In a few minutes, she could no longer be seen behind the foliage of falling brown leaves.

Genesis stood rooted to the spot, then his knees gave out, unable to support his body anymore. Tifa's words rang clearly in his head:

"_She carries your child_."

* * *

_Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited! We're almost done but I don't know when the next chapter will come out. Reviews will help motivate the muse, certainly. :) _


	5. Chapter 5

_I long for you, Aquarius,_

_I need to be with you again _

* * *

"Aerith," Genesis said as he untangled Aerith's hair from his wrist. The _hair binding_, as he'd like to call it was happening every night now and it prevented him from straying away from her anytime of the night. He doesn't even know when she finds time to do it, just that whenever he opens his eyes, he would find Aerith's long braided hair wrapped around his wrist as surely as the sun rises with the dawn.

She groans and slides closer to his warmth. He smiles and begins the process of removing the looped hair. "Wake up, Aerith." He said and gently kisses her shoulder. "It's already morning."

Her eyes flutter open and once again he is rewarded with the view of her forest green eyes, gaining a blue tint in the crystal light of the cave. She smiled tenderly upon seeing and moved out of the way as he sat up. Normally, he would have gone right through his morning rituals, chopping firewood, hunting game, checking the markers he's set around the perimeter for any signs of intrusion… but today he could spare a few more moments to look at her still lying in their makeshift bed, her pool of long braid at her side as she blinked up at him sleepily.

"Why do you do that?" he asked.

"Do what?" she asked, voice still heavy with sleep.

"Curl your hair around my wrist? You do it every night."

Aerith suddenly laughed. A full, brilliant laugh that echoed around in the cavern. "Genny, _you're_ the one who does it!"

"What?"

She sat up and kissed the tip of his nose. "I've gotten quite used to it, but the first few times were a surprise. You would tug on my hair like it was a rope! Then you'd coil it around your wrist... sometimes you even tie a knot! I spend quite some time untangling those. Sometimes, I barely get a night's sleep from all your tying and tugging."

Genesis frowned. "You're making that up."

Aerith giggled some more. "Would I lie to you?"

He looked at her as if he could unlock the secrets of her smile. But all the he could see was dizzying depths of green filled with amusement and love. Even if she was lying, it wouldn't matter because tomorrow it will be the same. He will still wake up with her hair around his wrist. He shook his head. "I shouldn't have asked." Then he looked at her closely once again. "You keep an awful lot to yourself."

Aerith cocked her head to one side and raised an eyebrow. "You do too."

He sent her a level look. He had no major secrets while she has yet to speak to him about the child growing in her womb. He shrugged. _She would tell me when it's time, no need to start the drama early. _

Her eyes twinkled as she watched him think while looking at her. "Truce then?" she accompanied it with her most brilliant smile.

"Truce." He agreed. Then he smiled, despite himself. "Goodmorning Aerith."

Aerith leaned close and kissed him on the mouth. She pulled away with another brilliant smile on her face. "Goodmorning, my love."

A few months had passed and there was now a noticeable bulge in her belly. One night Genesis sharpened his growing collection of tools with a roughstone while Aerith as she patched a hole in one of her dresses. It was just another regular night, something that they do on a weekly basis. But today Genesis was very near the edge.

She still hadn't spoken to him about her condition and it was slowly driving him mad. He dragged the spearhead against the roughstone too harshly and his unprotected hand became victim to the ensuing friction. He grit his teeth at the sudden flare of pain and annoyance and threw the spearhead away. It embedded against the wall, knife sharp.

"Genny! Are you ok?" Aerith asked as she turned concerned green eyes at him. She had stopped her sewing and has turned her full attention to him.

"No… No I am _not_ okay." He stood up and faced her.

Aerith was about to stand up from where she perched when Genesis ordered her to stay there. Then he sat in front of her and grabbed both of her hands with his. He watched her attend to him with detachment. He had grown weary of the games and the waiting. "Did you not think it was important to tell me?"

Aerith turned to him lazily then took his hand and placed it on her belly. "What, this? Whatever for? You're gonna notice sooner or later and it's not like you can do anything about it."

Genesis looked at her with a confused expression on his face.

"I think I'll name him _Exodus_." She smiled at him and the look in her eyes said that she would brook no argument.

"_Aerith!_" the urgency in his voice demanded no other reaction but haste. Aerith immediately looked up from what she was doing and was surprised to find Genesis bring in a bundle of something that had… blood?

It could easily be mistaken for a game he caught for them to eat but the wild look in his eyes and the way that he carried it toward her sent a chill down her spine. This was no animal; it was a person. "The healing kits, _quickly!_" Genesis laid the person down into their bed roll and Aerith approached carefully, holding out the items she might need. Upon closer examination, she saw the long brown hair that was tucked into the hood and the dark red blood that stained the clothing as well as her hands. Aerith gasped when Genesis pulled back the hood to offer a drink of a healing vial to the person's mouth.

"_Tifa!"_ she gasped, kneeling down beside her friend. "What happened?" she turned to Genesis in a panic.

"I found her like this. The river was stained with blood and she was the source. Come on, drink up!" He pressed the bottle to her lips.

"No, no. That won't do. Move over!" Aerith exclaimed as she pulled back her sleeves kneeled in front of Tifa. She closed her eyes in prayer and called for the planet to assist her. Suddenly the lights of the crystals around them dimmed and a bright, green light started to appear in her palms, settling around the form of her friend. They spent a few tense minutes that way and then just as suddenly, the light disappeared. Aerith fell forward and it was all Genesis could do to catch his pregnant lover with one arm before she fell over her hurt friend.

He made sure to arrange both women comfortably then went to Aerith's side. Suddenly Tifa's eyes opened and she sat up, eyes wild in confusion. Her eyes found them and she shrieked. "You need to get away!" Her eyes were wild.

"What are you talking about? What happened?" Genesis asked as he held a protective arm over Aerith.

"Nibelheim is gone!" She sobbed and struggled to catch her breath. "General Sephiroth, he went to the Shin-Ra mansion, then we didn't see him for weeks. We thought he died! But we were too afraid, to go check... Then other SOLDIERs came; unlike any we have ever seen before. They hid their faces, they came in the night, and then they started going to houses and killing everyone inside! They came for my father… for me… and they demanded to know where you were. They said they would kill everyone if nobody could tell them where you went… My father died right in front of me, he tried to defend me…" her tears fell and she sobbed. Aerith, having recovered from her faint, came to her and smoothed her hair.

"Then he came. Sephiroth. He saved me. They wanted him to come back to them; to help them in their search for you. But he killed them. He was merciless; he said things have changed. He killed every SOLDIER that tried to approach. He said to me, 'Run. Warn them. Tell them things have changed; tell him Angeal has died because of it. Tell him it's just a matter of time.'"

Genesis blinked slowly as if to digest the information he's been given then he turned hardened eyes at her. "Where is Sephiroth?"

"I don't know!" Tifa sobbed and held on to Aerith. "He took a blow for me. The sword went right through his body, onto mine. Then I ran... I ran... I was dying but I ran." She clutched Aerith's hand and then her eyes widened as she patted her body, searching for her wounds. "Where are my wounds?"

"I healed you." Aerith said.

Genesis suddenly stood up. His hands clenched then unclenched and his face had a look of intense concentration. "Genesis. Genesis, what are you doing?" Aerith looked at her lover and was panicked by the bright light in his eyes.

He ignored her question and strode to where the rest of his things were and promptly took out his sword. "I'm going to end this."

Aerith stood up and latched onto his arm. "You're not making sense! Why would you go? They don't know where we are, we're safe here…"

Genesis wiped the dust off his blade and pulled out his cloak. He put it on and then sheathed his blade in its holster. "Sephiroth sent a message. He's done something. And even if I can't end this, I have to avenge my friends." He removed her hold on his arm like it didn't hold weight and started walking towards the exit.

"Genesis!" Tifa called, coming to Aerith's side.

Aerith was in tears. "Don't go! What about our son?" She held her belly with one hand.

Genesis turned his head to face her. "Don't you understand? We will never really be safe as long as there are people who knows of you, who will look for you. He will never know peace. I have to end this. I have to."

"No, that's not true!" Aerith grabbed him and held on to him tightly. "Please don't leave us."

Genesis bent his head low and brought his lips against her forehead. "Raise him well." He said then he disentangled her hold on him and before she could grasp him again, he strode out of the cave.

"Genesis!" Aerith and Tifa ran out after him but by the time they got outside, he was gone.

All that hinted of his presence was a single black feather, fluttering down towards where they stood.

* * *

**A / N:** _There will be one last chapter. Thanks everyone for being patient despite the long wait in between updates. :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_I fear you, Aquarius  
My destiny till the end_

* * *

The blinking lights of the megalopolis were barely visible through the smoke that hovered above the city like a dark cloud. There were sounds of gunfire, glass shattering, and strangled screams as chaos spread in the city. There were rumors that SOLDIERS had gone rogue and defected to the rebel group that waged war for the planet. Strange things began to happen at the Shin-Ra tower. Those who came in never came out again.

"My old friend..." Amidst the smoke, Genesis' voice filtered like light through the darkness to the ears of the other SOLDIER who watched the city below. "It seems we find ourselves together on the field of battle once more."

"Why did you come?" Sephiroth spoke, his hair sailed through the air like strands of pure silver. "I asked you to take care of her."

"And this is the best way to do it." There was a fluttering of wings then Genesis came to stand beside him, hovering as if they both stood on solid ground.

"If anything happens to her..."

"She's not alone. She's with Tifa; the girl who you saved."

Green eyes flickered to meet his. "The mayor's daughter?" His head lowered slightly as he turned back to the sight below them again. "She was beautiful."

"Yes, she _is_." Genesis looked at this friend once more. "Did they hurt you?" The other man shook his head.

"Not more than I can handle."

"Sephiroth. Tell me what happened."

He sighed then turned to face Genesis fully. "Everything was set up by one man. From the very beginning. My birth, yours, Aerith's, Angeal's. And everything that happened afterward; our placement in SOLDIER, our meeting, the missions... Even the last one you were given, all of this was manipulated by _him_."

He frowned. "I don't understand."

"Hojo, my _father_..." He spit out the word as if it was bile. "...planned all this."

Genesis drew a sharp breath.

Sephiroth's gaze turned cold. "I followed the trails he left behind. Read about how he 'made' me in his research notes in Nibelheim. Where it all began." He lifted his eyes to meet Genesis. "We're not human, Genesis. There's something inside us. He called it 'Jenova', an alien parasite that makes us what we are. Stronger, faster, sturdier than the others. The injections..." a small frown appeared on his face "The experimentations, the war, all of this was done to reinforce the presence of this _thing_ inside us. As long as it's active, we can _never _die."

Genesis shook his head, conflicting emotions flashing through his eyes. "Tell me... Tell me what happened to Angeal."

Sephiroth's look darkened. "Hojo found a way to suppress Jenova inside him, then he killed him to prove that it was possible."

Genesis clenched his fists. "That bastard..."

Sephiroth smiled bitterly. "I only wanted to find out why you were sent to be with Aerith. I never thought..." he stopped himself then shook his head. "I did find out. Your mission was part of an elaborate breeding program that was supposed to produce the next generation of Cetra with Jenova inside them. Hojo did all this so that the gods could once again walk on this earth. He suppressed Jenova inside you for a while because when it is active, the host can never reproduce. I was his first experiment. After the initial trials, I was deemed inadequate because Jenova had bonded with me so well, that to suppress it would kill me. You, on the other hand..."

Genesis listened quietly. He had a hard look in his features.

"You were more human than me. Aerith obviously finds you more attractive as well." A wry smile on Sephiroth's face appeared. "I trust you kept your hands to yourself?"

"You had her first..." He muttered.

Sephiroth smiled. "So she told you. It was a long time ago."

Genesis was silent for a while. "I wish she could have met Angeal."

"Me too, my friend. Me too."

There was a moment of silence between them as a cold night breeze blew past them. When Sephiroth opened his eyes, his gaze was clear and sharp. "Are you ready to put an end to all this?"

He nodded and unsheathed his rapier, his grip was tight.

Sephiroth drew his masamune and gave it an experimental swing. He turned back to Genesis one last time. "When it's over, I want to see the child."

"Of course." Their eyes met one last time. "Perhaps we can name him Angeal."

* * *

"Tifa..." Aerith's voice broke the heavy silence. There was a rustling sound and then her friend was beside her, rearranging the blanket wrapped around Aerith's body.

"I dreamt of Genesis." Aerith spoke, her voice was low and hoarse. In the faint light of the crystals in the cave, her face looked drawn and beads of sweat littered her face.

Tifa clenched a hand stained with blood then hesitantly pressed her palm against Aerith's cold forehead. It won't be long now, they both knew it. It had been awhile since Genesis left them in the cave, and day by day Aerith grew weaker, wilting like a plant that had been away from the sun for too long.

And last night, she had gone into labor. The baby has still not come out, and there was no way to stop the bleeding that started.

Tifa wiped a stray tear that escaped her eyes. She prayed to the Goddess, if she was listening, for her friend's suffering to end. She was so weak now, so fragile... But she still hung on. And she knew why.

"Tell me about your dream."

* * *

_He is in pain._

Aerith said that humans reincarnate after they die. This was not their first time in Gaia, nor was it their last. His eyes briefly registered the trail of bodies that littered his path, like grasses on the side of the road. The dead, though they have left their mortal shell here, is now in the lifestream where they await their chance to take part in life again.

He wondered if he would still take part of his cycle. Would he still be able to, now that he knows he carries something alien inside him, something that wouldn't let go, wouldn't allow him to die? And even if he did die, would he want to leave the lifestream, knowing that Aerith would never be able to be born again? After all, the Cetra are only born once, die once, and live on forever in the Promised Land.

_He never stops dreaming. _

He fought everything Hojo threw at him with movements that were almost automatic. Still, his mind was elsewhere. Thoughts of Aerith blunted the pain of all the blows that inevitably landed. Everything seemed easier while she was on his mind.

It's such a shame they could not grow old together. These past few weeks, he found himself thinking more and more on the matter. He did not mind the thought so much, in fact he looked forward to it. He thought it would be quite the experience to see her go through the seasons in life and be there for every single day of it. He even entertained the idea of living in seclusion with her for the rest of their days. After all, they had everything they needed.

But he knows that he would not be able to walk away from this alive. His thoughts turned to his son. He hoped that he would give his mother hard times, as much as good times, because life was never meant to be enjoyed in full, there had to be suffering too.

But he also knows that Aerith would follow him soon. She was loyal like that. And also because, deep down, he knew that theirs was the type of love where they would not want to be apart from the other. Even if that meant following him onto death.

_His dreams cause him pain._

He bleeds and there is no stopping the red fountain within him. But that was okay, because that also meant that he was able to bring Hojo down with fatal swing of his sword against his neck. His headless body hovered and twitched with movement before it slumped to the floor, jerking.

He slumped down as well, his body suddenly too heavy.

He could hear Sephiroth still battling the other abomination that Hojo had thrown at them. It was his most effective experiment so far, seeing as how it was still alive and fighting even though its master was already dead. He briefly wondered how Sephiroth would feel now. Did he even knew that his father was dead?

Goddess, he wished he could at least have seen the face of his son!

_His heart is so strong._

He coughed up blood knew that there would be no healing that could save him. He knew it from the way that the remaining blood in his body churned, as if it was molten lava instead of blood that pumped through is heart. He had felt this way before, the first time that Hojo had stuck a needle into his arm. He knew what it meant now. He was human again, and humans died from these types of wounds.

He did not want to die. But he also knew that this was the only way that they will ever have a future ahead of them.

With the last of his strength, he rasped a few words. It was the faintest of whispers, yet it was heard half way across the world by the very woman it was intended for.

"I love you... and I don't regret a thing."

* * *

Far away from civilization, Aerith gave birth to a boy with eyes the color of the sky, then she closed her own and never opened them again.

* * *

A woman walked along a wide expanse of grassland, her face mostly covered by a dark cowl that extended up to her feet. On one side was a great lake, surrounded by mountain ranges that stood over like guardians in the small valley. She kept a determined pace of one who walked with purpose and made good time across the field.

A cry broke through the silence and the woman stopped. Gently, she kneeled and her arms slowly parted the fabric cloth on her chest to reveal a small infant bundled close to her. "There, there," she whispered softly. She takes out her canteen and gently wet the lips of the infant with water. "I know you're hungry. But I have nothing to give. Try to hold on longer little one, we'll be there soon."

There was a rustling of wings and something heavy landed a few feet away. The woman instantly recoiled, arms extended in a defensive position. Her canteen lay upturned in the ground.

Red blood fell into the leaves of grass as the creature; black, steel, white and something else struggled to right itself up after its painful landing. The woman held her breath and watched as one long wing with tattered feathers barely clinging on folded back to reveal the silver hair of the famed General who saved her not so long ago.

"Sephiroth!" she immediately stood and started to run towards him, only to stop when he extended a hand out to halt her. He struggled to his feet and precariously remained upright. At his full height she could see the many wounds that he's suffered; long diagonal lines across his torso, jagged burns on his arms, and blood, so much blood all over his body. His hair was uneven and frayed, matted in blood and soot. He wiped the dirt and blood from his mouth as he tried to steady his breath. He glanced at her, his eyes were still that frightening shade of brilliant green.

"Tifa..." he breathed hoarsely as if the very act itself hurt his lungs. Her eyes widened and she looked at him amazed, she never told him her name. "Wh-where is she?"

A sad look crossed her features and she shook her head. "Aerith... has returned to the planet." Her dry eyes, red from crying, was exhausted and shed no more tears. "I'm sorry, she lost too much blood..."

He exhaled a shaky breath and his form visibly crumpled as he fell down to his knees. Tifa breached the last few distance between them and carefully touched his shoulders. "Was it all for nothing?" he whispered to himself as he scoffed, the last of his energies draining away.

"No!" She kneeled in front of him and opened her cloak as if in offering. "She died giving birth. The child lives." Clear blue eyes between heavy lidded eyelids opened and focused sleepily at Sephiroth.

The proud SOLDIER could only stare. A smile opened in his dry, cracked lips and for the first time, Tifa saw tears come to his eyes. "She's always wanted her child to have blue eyes." He looked at Tifa. "A girl or...?"

"It's a boy."

"What's his name?"

Tifa shook her head. "I was thinking of naming him after his father." She looked at him with resigned eyes. "Tell me, is he...?"

"The fool. He made too many sacrifices. Including his life." He clenched his teeth as a massive headache flared through his temples. Blood started to flow out of his nose and he bowed his head.

"What... what is happening to you?"

He reeled and waited for the burning sensation to pass. He turned and laid down sprawled on his back, for the first time, seeing how the rays of the afternoon sun painted the sky. "The Jenova... inside me is dying. It was Hojo's parting gift... _Nnngh!_" he doubled over again, coughing up more blood and black substance.

"You are in pain, we can go to—" Tifa could only keep her hands uselessly at her side, afraid to touch him, afraid to cause more pain.

"No! We... killed all of Shin-Ra's leaders. They are finished. And perhaps... so are we. You should leave now, take him somewhere safe. Where no one will know."

Tifa got up to her feet, not needing to be told twice about the importance of keeping the child safe. "I am headed towards..."

"No. Don't... tell me. Just go. If I survive this, then... I'll find you."

A conflicted expression appeared on her face. "I owe you my life. I don't want to leave you here to die." She clenched her firsts. "But... if this is what you wish, then so be it," she wrapped the cloth around her charge carefully then prepared to leave.

"Wait." Sephiroth called. He turned to her. In the dying rays of the sun his green eyes looked different in colour. Less intense, more human. "Call him Angeal. He would like that."

Tifa nodded and, before she could think the better of it, she leaned down and kissed him on the corner of his lips.

"Thank you for everything you've done. I'll see you again, in this life or the next."

With one final brush of her hand against his cheek, she walked towards the setting sun and never looked back.

* * *

**A / N:** Things could actually end here already but... there's an epilogue. It's slightly lighter in tone, and as with the game, dead characters stay dead.


	7. Epilogue

There was a knock on the door.

"Ma! There's someone's at the door."

"So go answer it then! I'm _cooking_ dinner."

"Pa?"

"You lazy son of mine, you're nearer!"

"But I'm hungry!"

The knock was repeated.

"And there's someone waiting outside! Go answer it already before I thrash you."

"You can't do it to me anymore, I'm a grown man!"

"You're already legal, but I can still teach you a thing or two! You think you're better just 'cause you're taller now, huh?"

"Bring it, old man! The loser hands over his portion of tonight's dinner."

"BOTH OF YOU STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!" came the voice from the kitchen. "And you worthless son of mine, if you don't answer that door, you won't eat anything, I swear to the Goddess!"

"Ouch! Alright, but just so you know, these are how feelings of resentment are built! Never threaten to deny a hungry man his dinner—"

A door is opened.

There was a woman on the steps. She slowly pulled her hood back to reveal eyes that were hauntingly beautiful; sad and familiar in ways that he saw in his dreams every night. She smelled of spring and wet earth, and always, of the cold mountains where she was born. And something else...

"Hello. Zack Aquarius Fair."

Stunned silence. "Oh..."

"Do you remember me?"

He blinked several times before he replied. "Of course I do! You're not..." He sighs and runs his hand through his dark spiky hair. "Not very easy to forget." A slight smile tugs at his lips. "You were the best mountain guide there ever was. And last time was... unforgettable."

She looks down and shifts her feet. A conflicted frown appears on her forehead. She half-turned as if to leave, but before she could move any further, his arms came around her and prevented further movement.

"I'm so glad you're alright. I heard about what happened to your hometown. I thought I'd never see you again. I've tried to find you, but..." He was a good foot taller than she was, and the position was more awkward than comforting, but god, how he missed her! He bowed his head and inhaled deeply. There was that scent again, a faint smell quite unlike any other. He frowned as he recognized what it was—blood. His eyes widened and he pulled back to look at her. He began to notice things that should not be there; the dark lines under her eyes, the tattered condition of the cloak she wore, a caked dark stain that clung onto her cloak, the unusual bulge on her chest.

There was a pleading look in her eyes. "I..." Something moved in her arms. She stepped back. "I'm so sorry. But I... I didn't have anywhere else to go."

"Ah..." His eyes were fixed on her torso, where she cradled something underneath her cloak, something that looked suspiciously like—

"DINNER'S READY!"

"Let's eat! Who's at the door? Why don't you invite them in for supper?"

"Is that—" He looked up at her startled eyes. She blinked once, twice, then lowered her eyes and nodded.

"What's the matter, son? What could possibly prevent you from racing towards food—Ahh, well, hello there."

"H-Hello."

"Come in, come in! We don't often see a pretty young thing like you in these parts. What can we do for you?"

She hesitated again. She was tense and if he didn't do something soon, she would leave. "Pa, uh... remember last summer..."

"When you came back and you wouldn't stop talking about some girl that you met in the mountains? The one who kicked your ass?"

"PA!" His panicked blue eyes locked with the girls' in weird mix of expression of horror and apology.

"What? Of course I remember, you kept on yammering about it so much my ears rang for days—" he received a none too subtle elbow to the ribs and inclined his head towards the young woman in front of them. Two pairs of blue eyes locked on to her and the way her face had turned into a deep shade of pink.

"Oh... errr..."

"Ah, that is..."

She raised her dark eyes, shook her head and opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by another voice.

"What's going on? I labour all day to prepare good food for you, and you let it grow cold?"

In the silence that followed, a baby's cry was heard. They all turned to look at the young woman as she slowly parted the folds of her cloak to reveal a newborn infant with eyes the colour of a clear summer sky.

There was a gasp, and then all eyes turned to the young man who had suddenly become very quiet, so unlike his usual self. He scratched the back of his head and looked up to hold the gaze of the young woman who stood helplessly cradling the child against her.

When he spoke, his voice was steady. "Ma, Pa... Didn't you say you've always wanted a grandchild?"

* * *

Somewhere in the lifestream, two spirits found each other and finally knew peace. Then one of them spoke.

"If that idiot teaches my son stupid things, I'm going to haunt him."

* * *

**A/N:** And that's it! I'm thinking about writing another story that would follow this, but it all depends on the interest. So leave a review, and I hope that you've enjoyed the read. :D


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